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It just basically followed the lead of the Netherlands' Marijuana law. Just as the Netherlands, they still target the big time traffickers (cartels) but leave the people alone who just possess probably 2-table spoons of it.

Although, in that paragraph it only mentioned "Drugs"—What kind of Drugs? Did it legalize almost everything or just the marijuana plant (as depicted in the picture)?

In the UK I understand that heroin addicts that are afraid of the withdrawl process but wish to hold down a steady job and become productive citizens have the option of going on a maintenance program where they can receive a dose of the drug the keeps them not high but on an even keel. But there are really scary drugs like Meth and Crack that I don't know how you would deal with.

It's the same in U.S or in any modern country,If an addict WANTS help they can get it and yes for heroin addicts there are substitutes that will prevent you from going "cold turkey" so that you can lead a normal lifestyle.

The responsibility should be with the citizens, but, if they do legalize them, they should come up with a few laws to help reduce harm to users. I am only for the legalization of less addictive and more harmless drugs.

Yes. The government has no business telling people what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Now if some people commit actual crimes while on drugs (like alcohol for example) then they should still be held accountable for those crimes. But consuming drugs is not a crime. If certain drugs (like tobacco for example) are harmful to society then I'm fine with the government using some taxpayer funds to accurately educate the public about the harmful effects of some drugs.

I believe, that in the case of all drug use, which includes alcohol, that the consequences of that drug use is the responsibility of the user. If the government condones their use however, they should also educate the public as to their effects, and warn them of their responsibilities. If someone then willfully takes drugs knowing the consequences of those actions, they should also be responsible for those actions. ie, the bill for rehab and hospitalization, etc. should not be put on the shoulders of tax payers. I feel the same way about smokers. If smokers get sick because of their habits, taxpayers shouldn't have to pay the price.

Yes ALL drugs should be legalized! Not just the ones you pick and choose like so many people have posted here.

Here are a few reasons before you start going off on this drug or that drug. 1. First off you can't stop people from doing what they want (i.e. prohibition) just by making it illegal. 2. It's not ANYONE'S right to say what i or you or anyone can put into his or her own body. 3. Leaving any drug illegal leaves it to be sold on the black market. Watch any of the episodes of Gangland and see what funds these criminal organizations! IT"S ALWAYS DRUGS! We could be making the drugs, producing jobs, and selling regulated versions of the drugs that are cleaner, cheaper, and safer while taxing them and putting that money in GOOD things like education. 4. Teaching harm prevention alone would save lives more than them being illegal. 5. Look at what are shitty drug laws have done to Mexico! If drugs were legal here and there no more 10s of 1000s of murders a year. Just regular business. The alcohol companies aren't killing eachother on campuses across the nation trying to sell beer are they? I could go on and on but you rational people have to be getting my point. And about the more dangerous drugs part, one, tabocco and alcohol are more dangerous than ANY drug there is and I've googled some numbers just for those of you who don't believe me.

SEE, and i hear nobody speaking against them. Hell asprin kills almost as many people as all ilIicit drugs combined. Each year, use of NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) accounts for an estimated 7,600 deaths and 76,000 hospitalizations in the United States." (NSAIDs include aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, ketoprofen, and tiaprofenic acid.)I smoke, I drink, my choice. Getting behind the wheel drunk? You should be FULLY responsible for your actions as many others have stated. Die from alcohol poisoning or over dose of heroine your fault. But you know how much alcohol you are drinking because it says right there on the bottle, your bag of H doesn't say 60% pure but it would if it was regulated. Plus it's all but impossible to seek help for any drug addiction in our country because that will be on your record. Quote from the Portuguese Example "drug addicts, no longer in danger of going to prison, have been able to get the help they need." Not in America.

I think that you are leaving the usable premise of your argument. Tobacco has been made more and more illegal through out my life. When I was a kid (I'm 37) nearly 40% of adults smoked. That number is nearly halved, but the frequency of smoking by those still smoking is relevant. My Dad was sometimes a chain smoker and you just don't see someone putting one out and lighting up another anymore because they have to go outside in most places. Cars and roads have constantly been improved. Now your pharmacist look to see what other drugs you have been prescribed. Obesity is an epidemic but there are shows fighting it and Wal-Mart and Michelle Obama are making moves to change it at the source. Alcohol has always been talked about. MAAD doesn't get the media it used to because it has been talked to death.We could go on, but the point has been made.

Something that I find interesting in the stats is that Marijuana is listed at 0 but alcohol is listed at 85,000. Number of alcohol-induced deaths, excluding accidents and homicides: 23,199. Source CDC

Clearly the source is adding alcohol related crashes as the total number of purely alcohol related deaths is much lower than 85,000. Then to not add in the likely marijuana related crashes is nothing but spin. There is no reason to suspect that marijuana use leads to less deaths due to accident per use than alcohol. Their reasoning can be inferred, and our inference is simply that the real numbers don't make their case. If they did, then they could let the numbers ride accurately.

I'm for legalization, just not with false numbers which lead to rose-colored glasses about the results of doing so.

This question was asked on a site that I visited:If McCain, or Obama were to suggest an agenda to decriminalization marijuana, would that swing your vote? I would amend it to any politician- Conservative/Liberal, Republican/ Democrat Independent, Libertarian ...ANY politician. And I also amend the question to be Cannabis/Hemp- not just marijuana- the medicinal/recreational use is only one aspect of this wonderful, useful, beneficial plant/resource.

To vote for a politician on only one issue is usually not wise for many reasons- main one being: Politicians LIE and will say anything to get elected. So if they made it a prime part of their agenda and it’s not just lip service I would definitely listen and think about voting for someone that I may disagree with on most every other issue.

The Re-legalization of cannabis/hemp is such an important issue, even for non-tokers, because it touches on almost every aspect on society. From the black market funding of gangs, cartels, organized crime, terrorist funding, and national security to jobs, housing, feeding, clothing the masses of humanity. It deals with job discrimination, over-crowded prisons, and the police/prison state that America is voting upon itself. Age limits, impairment testing, freedom of choice, and JOBS. It’s not, and should not be, just about medicinal -recreational use (aka smoking pot). The plant (resource) has 1000′s of other uses which will help mankind in every way. Millions of non-outsourced, non-government, legal, reasonably taxed, private sector JOBS worth Trillions of dollars. To list just a few and the industries that would be created: 1. Paper: cheaper to produce and more environmentally friendly- would produce many thousands of jobs in the pulp/paper industry. 2. Textiles/clothing: cheaper and less pesticides to grow than cotton and more durable fiber- anything made from cotton and flax can be made with hemp producing 1000′s of jobs. 3. Food: The hemp seed is more nutritious than soy, and is 2nd only to soy in the amount of oils produced per seed, but commercially grown the amount of seed produced would easily outproduce soy. 1000′s of jobs. 4 Bio-fuels: Hemp can be produced into fuels like methanol for bio-diesel engines- which commercially grown can produce enough to virtually eliminate dependence on oil. Producing many 1000′s of jobs. 5. Construction: The hemp fiber can replace almost every type of wood/tree product needed for construction of houses. Many 1000′s of jobs. 6. Farming: All of this hemp needs to be grown. Acre upon acre, mile after mile, state after state, country by country producing many, Many, MANY 1000′s of jobs.

All would be legal, regulated, moderately taxed, like every other job in America producing millions of jobs worth Trillions of dollars. Not one joint or bit of THC/CBD produced out of any of it- no one can get high or get medicine from the above.

This has still not even mentioned the industry and jobs that would be created for the med/rec industry. Which would probably, once de-criminalized, account for the least amount of jobs and taxes from hemp/cannabis decriminalization, although it would also be worth several billion dollars and produce around as many jobs as the alcohol/tobacco industries only better. Commercial growers could produce average B-flat grades of cannabis (Budmeiser perhaps). Micro-groweries could grow the more rare, exotic, and potent, top-shelf quality varieties. People could grow their own without the fear of having your door kicked in by law enforcement and could call them instead for "normal" crimes like robbery.

I would definitely vote for a politician that promoted the safe, responsible, medicinal/recreational/industrial uses of this wonderful plant. If they add in ending the whole drug war I’d vote twice and stand on a soap box for them, even if I disagreed on every other policy they stand for. For once a politician could promise jobs and actually deliver and it wouldn’t be an empty promise.

A politician that promoted and actually pushed for cannabis/hemp re-legalization and a sane drug policy would get my vote. Hands down. It's that important, produces that many jobs, feeds, clothes, houses and fuels humanity, is more environmentally friendly, reduces/eliminates our dependence on foreign oil, kills the black market drug profits, gets "drugs" off the streets and out of the grasp of children, protects our borders, empties our prisons of non-violent people, promotes freedom, creativity, and productivity, and is beneficial in every way to humanity.